ZIONISTS IN AUSTRALIA, JEWISH AND NON-JEWISH! OI VEY!

Where does one start with the outrage because of actions, comments and statements from politicians who know nothing about certain topics but open their mouths and put as many feet into them as they can cram!

Julie Bishop comes to mind! Her ignorance is appalling, and she shoots from the hip about Israel, BDS, zionism and Edward Snowden. If anybody behaves as a traitor to the country she is supposed to serve, Bishop again comes to mind.

Two very interesting letters in The Age newspaper on 20 January 2014 show how some people are intelligent and are able to think for themselves (the first letter), while others don't know what they are talking about and swallow any stories which are thrown in their direction (the second letter).

The writer of the second letter uses names incorrectly and outside the context in which the zionists use them, and also states "....what we have in Judaea (sic) and Samaria....." and her address is given as Chirnside Park, which is presumably in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and not in "Chaifo" or however the Hebraists spell it, in Northern Israel. Why on earth is she living in Australia when "her" country has open doors for zionist settlers, particularly in the occupied West Bank Palestinian lands?

As for "scholarly support", she does not quote who the scholars are, and what their legal sources are. There is nothing legal about an illegal occupation, despite what she is trying to parrot, and the fact that The Age newspaper prints such rubbish says something about the quality of the media in Australia.

In conflict

George Browning's response to Julie Bishop's comment that settlements in the West Bank do not breach any international law is not surprising (''Bishop's troubling stance on legality of Israeli settlements'', Forum, 18/1). What is surprising is the fact that Australia is on the UN Security Council and that her comments would appear to be in conflict with the Fourth Article of the Geneva Convention. Many countries that are in breach of UN regulations, such as Iran and North Korea, tend to have penalties imposed on them for breaches. Rules for some not for others, but then democratic principles are subject to evolutionary forces.

Rob Park, Surrey Hills

Wisdom in approach

There is much scholarly support for the proposition that the Israeli settlements are indeed legal. What we have in Judaea and Samaria is not the ''usual'' example of, say, one nation occupying another. Julie Bishop has responded wisely, by stating the matter should not be ''prejudged'' at this stage.
Vera Hardiman, Chirnside Park

There is nothing wise about what Julie Bishop says on the topic of Israel - she was bought out by the zionists long ago, and, like the rest of her colleagues, sings to their tune.